Albright: Putin 'a new czar'

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Thursday that Americans should turn their focus away from Flight 370 coverage and to Ukraine, where Russian President Vladimir Putin considers himself “a new czar.”

“Those of us that have dealt with Putin know how he thinks, and he really is nostalgic and believes that he’s some kind of a new czar,” Albright said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

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She said the U.S. must be “more vigilant” and called the situation in Ukraine a “game-changer” in U.S.-Russian relations. She decried Americans’ “very short attention span.”

“I know we’re all focused on the airplane, but the bottom line is: This has really, truly long-term implications, and we all need to focus on how to deal with Ukraine, how to deal with U.S.-European relations,” Albright said. “Then focus on our relations with Russia. Turning point.”

Albright also said there is a need for military intervention, although not necessarily by sending in troops.

“When people talk about military force, they always think boots on the ground. And there are obviously other ways to think about military force,” Albright said. “I do think that NATO, and through a variety of exercises and support, I think that there is a way that that tool has to also be on the table. And vigilance.”